Meet Our Team
Our hard working team of tree service professionals are the backbone of our company. They have become well known within the local area for providing outstanding service to customers, as well as their unwavering commitment to safety. E&E Tree Services would be no more than a name on a truck if it weren't for our dedicated team.
Our crew aims to exceed our customer's expectations every single day. The reviews from our past customers consistently praise them for doing just that! If you take the time to read through them, you'll notice they all center around the same common theme: A professional team providing outstanding service and always leaving the job site even cleaner than it was before they arrived.
We wanted to shine the spotlight on these men for just a moment, for all that they do. And we wanted to take a moment to thank them. Tree work isn't easy, and good men are hard to find. E&E is blessed, not only because we have the best tree men on our team, but also because we are lucky enough to call each one of these men family.
With all of that being said, and in no particular order, meet our crew:
Paul is the owner of E&E Tree Services and one of the best climbers in the area. As the son of the former owner and tree climber, and the grandson of a tree climber, he grew up watching the two men he admired most climb and cut down trees day after day, for most of his life. To this day, Paul will tell you his Dad and his Peepaw were the best
climbers in the business. He credits them for teaching him everything he knows. He won't ever brag about his climbing ability, that's just not his style. But, if you ever get the chance, just watch him work and you'll see for yourself why we say he's part man, part monkey.
Paul's Dad no longer climbs but he still works for the company grinding the stumps of the trees Paul cuts down. You'll still see him on the job site with his dog, Nala B (who's also become quite well known as being our company mascot). He fixes broken down trucks and equipment, offers a pair of helping hands on the ropes, and always has friendly advice to give when needed.
Meet Pete Estes - the original E of E&E:
Floyd "Pete" Estes was born and raised in Charlottesville, VA. He moved to the Hampton Roads area as a young adult to work as a welder at the Newport News Shipyard. He worked day shift at the Shipyard and spent his evenings doing tree work. Eventually he left the Shipyard to do tree work full time. He branched off from the family business and started his own company with a long time friend. He spent years building a great reputation for affordable tree work and superior customer service. In fact, many of Pete's original customers still call E&E for their tree work to this day.
It doesn't take long for Pete to consider you family. Pete, often called "Papa Pete", treats everyone with kindness and generosity, it's no wonder he's earned the love and respect of so many people throughout the community.
The next member of our team isn't blood related , but quickly became a part of the family when he joined E&E. You will hear him calling Pete "Pop", and Pete responding, "Yea, Baby". And even though they bear no resemblance whatsoever, La'dell is and will always be a son to Pete Estes.
Meet La'dell:
La'dell has been with E&E for a little over 7 years. He is our Lead Groundsman and the one Paul trusts to rope while he climbs. Watching him and Paul work together is like watching a secret conversation without words. Paul makes a gesture or a certain sound from the top of the tree and La'Dell starts moving the ropes in different directions, as if reading Paul's mind. Limbs begin coming to the ground seamlessly and without error. It's truly amazing to watch them work together.
When we say he is our right hand, that's exactly what we mean. While Paul is known for being a great climber, La'dell is known for being the ground guy
every company wishes they could have. The trust and communication that Paul and La'Dell have established over the years is the perfect personification of teamwork. Best friends by chance and brothers by choice. Paul and La'Dell are so perfectly in sync, their sons were both born on the exact same day, in the exact same hospital, just a few rooms apart.
As the lead ground guy, La'Dell runs the show while Paul is in the tree. Lately you'll find him showing the new guy the ropes (literally). We may joke around and call him the current rake boy, but our newest addition is quickly proving himself to be another irreplaceable part of the team.
Meet Matt:
Matt is not only the newest member of the E&E team but he's also the grandson of Pete and nephew of Paul.
At first, it didn't seem as if Matt had an interest in joining the family business. It wasn't until he left his job as the manager of Papa John's that he decided to give tree work a shot. The first few weeks were rough for Matt because this type of work was nothing like what he was used to. Tree work
calls for early mornings, you get dirty - really dirty, some days are unbearably hot, and most of the time you come home worn slam out. But something about this line of work is everything that these men love. It didn't take long before the inner "treeman" took root in Matt. Now, he loves this line of work and is eager to learn as much as he can. He makes a sincere effort and tries harder everyday. Matt's proven himself to be a great fit for the high standards we set for our guys and we couldn't be more proud to have another Estes on our team.
Now that you've met our newest team member, allow me to introduce you to our oldest. A true E&E OC - original climber - Mr. Herbie Todd:
Herbie began working for E&E Tree Services when he was just 18 years old. He won't let us tell you the actual year that he started working with us, but we can tell you he is 54 years old. The math is pretty easy to do from there 😀. Herbie was one of the original Estes apprentices, and he is quick to tell you he learned from the absolute best climbers the industry has ever seen. Not only did he learned from Papa Pete and Peepaw, he was privileged enough to learn from their brothers and uncles too. He will proudly tell about his training with Uncle Leeland, one of the first traveling tree climbers. Herbie still climbs for our great team, after 36 years. If you ever see him out on the job, stop and pick his brain for a minute about the history behind our great company. He certainly has some great stories to tell.
Herbie and La'Dell may not share our blood or legal name but they are so deeply rooted in E&E that they will always be family as far as we are concerned.
While Herbie is in the top of a tree, Paul is up in the tree beside of him, Papa Pete and La'dell are on the ropes, guiding limbs flawlessly and safely to the ground, and Maffy is there too, hauling brush to the chipper or raking away 😉. To fully understand why we value these men so much you would have to see them in action.
So guys, thank you! Thank you for all you do and for being the absolute best team anyone could ever hope to have!